concept

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concept

The concept itself is simple: create a place for people to come and find peace. That's it. No fan-fare, no hubbub, but a place of hope and healing, quiet contemplation and a sense of connectedness. The design and technology aspects of this project are exciting and innovative to be sure, but our goal is to create a sacred space that will last. Whether you walk the park above or descend slowly to the Chapel beneath, we want visitors to breathe in, find places to stop and think, pray and feel closer to God.

The site is located on Ebenezer Church Road, adjacent to Umstead Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on a sloped terrain with a beautiful forest next to Richland Creek. While the Chapel itself will exist 15 meters (45 feet) underground, there will be a landmark tower in the park above that has multiple functions, including holding the chapel bells and bringing light and ventilation to the interior.

"When Mark proposed this to me, I had to accept immediately. I love challenges and this is a big one. The project requirements, the rock excavation that will last for thousands of years and for future generations was what attracted me the most."Xavier Vilalta

"Our hope is that the Chapel will be a space that allows for multiple sensations of sound, music, prayer and a place of peace and health."Higini Arau

"The challenge (and attraction of this project) for me is to help design an integrated building that works in harmony with nature, where visitors feel at ease, comfortable and inspired."Jordi Pascual

"A&O is not only familiar with this particular area of Richland Creek, but the entire greenway system in Raleigh. Our inter-disciplinary knowledge will be key to the success of this project and our in-house water resources engineers, structural engineers, and site/civil engineers will work together to ensure all design and construction constraints are adequately evaluated and incorporated in the design."Ted Bartelt

Ebenezer Chapel will provide a means to connect with God’s nature in a way that typically only occurs in caves and mines in remote areas and not accessible to the general public. 

design + technology

design + technology

Creating an underground Chapel is not like building a home, school, church or museum above ground, to say the least, yet the goal of Ebenezer Chapel is to exhibit some of all of these things. We hope it will teach, inspire and attract visitors who are interested in our particular time in history, our technology, our lives and our faith.

One of the most important aspects of architecture (and often what we learn first) is the technology used in the construction. We marvel at the Egyptian pyramids and how Brunelleschi defined and engineered the dome for Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy. The Ebenezer Chapel team believes the technology we employ will be an extremely important message for future generations. We are using computer modeling techniques to optimize the natural properties of the rock in terms of structure, natural lighting, acoustics and ventilation. Geological studies will be used to create an underground space that only structurally requires the existing stone, functions with natural light, has natural fresh air ventilation without HVAC, and the acoustics of a perfectly tuned musical instrument.

Ebenezer Chapel will serve people from around the world who come to find peace and a source for encouragement in the middle of nature. It will be timeless structure, drawn from tradition to inspire now and in the future. 

The exterior landscaping will incorporate references to Biblical plants and approximately 120 of the 140 plants mentioned in the Bible will be planted on the Ebenezer Chapel site. The different species will populate different landscapes of the property with various colors, smells and textures providing multiple experiences for those who want to wander the park area before or after visiting the Chapel underground.

As for the excavation itself, the main design challenge was how to reach the level of the rock layer creating an experience for visitors that will allow them to quiet their minds before entering to the sacred hollowed space below. To do that, we will place the main access at the lowest area of the property, next to the creek. From this entrance, a continuous ramp will slope down along the site and around the space of the Chapel and will terminate into a foyer that provides the entrance to the chapel space.

The shape of this part of the entrance/descent is similar to the cochlea of the human ear. The position of the Chapel is parallel to the natural slope of the terrain with its main access to the east. The descending ramp wraps up the chapel space creating light and an experience of the natural elements that help to prepare ones eyes and mind for the main space.

As the natural light levels slowly decrease to allow one's eyes to adjust, the stone texture will become more prevalent through the use of corten steel sheets. The raw nature of the excavated stone will blend with the softness and control of the light at every moment as visitors slowly make their way down.

After an ambling and, we hope, contemplative walk down to the Chapel, travelers enter a space that will seat 250 people. Above the altar will be a skylight just below the exterior tower bringing in natural light to the large expanse. One single stone vault will embrace the space. Just as the exterior tower will signal to visitors that there is a park for wandering and recreation, that same tower will penetrate the earth, traveling down into the Chapel space itself. Structurally and spiritually, the metaphor is of being grounded while still connected to what is above.

Neither the descending ramp, nor the Chapel space has right angles and this reinforces the importance of the experience of natural materials and light. It also opens the mind to the infinite, showing us that God works with all manner of materials, cultures, people and circumstances to make the world in His image and for His glory.

The challenge (and attraction of this project) for me is to help design an integrated building that works in harmony with nature, where visitors feel at ease, comfortable and inspired.

methodology + timeline

methodology + timeline

We've been extremely intentional and deliberate in the formation of our team and in the creation of our methodology and approach. We've prayed for guidance and we've also used the skills, insight and resources God has given us. Below is a breakdown of our 4 approaches.

GENERAL approachThe project team is comprised of group of highly skilled consultants with diverse experience – each boasting specialized knowledge that will be relevant to this project. We have planned to overlap the professional disciplines from the start of the project: The project management is based on 4 main disciplines: Architectural Design, Structural, Energy, and Acoustics The 4 disciplines will be organized by the lead architect.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY approachThe project structure requires the creativity of many different people. In addition to the technical team described above the project requires the involvement of pastors, archeologists, sociologists, artists, lighting experts and horticulturalists. We seek the involvement of the worldwide community of individuals and corporations to not only crowd fund but also provide their technical expertise and insights into how the chapel can be used to serve the needs of as many people as possible.

MANAGEMENT approachThe staff organization is a collaborative structure of several teams led by the design team principals. The lead construction contractor will coordinate the sub consultants in order to establish the communication necessary to ensure exceptional quality control. The lead architect will coordinate each team.

SUSTAINABILITY approachA sustainability engineer will monitor the different activities of the team to ensure that the outcome of the design works from this perspective.

PROJECT MILESTONESA detailed management and engineering schedule has been developed and will be used to update as work is accomplished. Key milestones are show below. The project is anticipated to take 3 years to complete.